Well, if I learn nothing else from this placement, I have learnt that I love red plantains. Can that fall into the category of self-understanding and self-awareness?

I was on a visit a few nights ago and was invited to stay for dinner (yeah, I know, visiting is tough here). One of the things on the menu was red plantain and it was absolutely delicious. So, I had a go at making the same thing myself this evening and, with all due modesty, it was most tasty. To be fair it can’t be simpler to make – thick slices of plantain, shallow fried until it’s dark golden in colour. Ends up slightly crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. They taste a bit like banana but not as sweet. They go well will something like a veggie rice or even risotto.

But there’s a little catch – red plantain isn’t red, it’s yellow. What’s red is the inner fleshy bit – well, sort of orangey – the skin is yellow. You also get green ones, but you boil them apparently.

So, never mind the theology, there are practical lessons to be learnt on placements too.